You're Always Going To Be The One
by bklue18
Summary: A Sequel to 'I Hate You But I Love You'.
1. The Encounter

"Guys, I need everyone to work with a smile! The crew and cast of Hawaii Five-0 are just down the beach. I don't want them coming in to see over-excited grins from all of you!"

Everyone laughed before one of the larger-sized Hawaiian male staff said, "Yes, boss lady!"

Jasmine smiled to herself before turning the 'closed' sign over to 'open', indicating that they are open for business. She walked back over to her 3 year-old daughter, who was just finishing her mini pancakes.

"Are you done with the mini pancakes, sweetie?" Jasmine asked  
>"Yes mommy." Her daughter replied<br>"Alright! Get your backpack, sweetheart. We're going to drop you off at school." Jasmine said

"Cookie for you, Taylor."

Jasmine smiled as her head baker handed her daughter a ziploc bag with a huge chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a little girl with icing on top.

She giggled and said, "Mahalo, Kahuna!"

"You're welcome! Boss lady, you better get going or Taylor will be late!" Kahuna said

Jasmine looked at her watch and said, "You're right! Come on, Taylor!"

She held Taylor's small hand as they bid good-bye to her staff in the café. They got into her black Volkswagen Golf and Jasmine drove off in the direction of Taylor's pre-school. When they arrived, Taylor hugged Jasmine before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, sweetie." Jasmine said

Taylor smiled, "I love you too, mommy."

Jasmine smiled and kissed Taylor's forehead before her daughter ran in to the school. As soon as she saw her daughter enter the classroom, she got back into the car. Jasmine went to get the supplies for her bakers before returning to the café.

"Got your stuff, Kahuna." Jasmine said, putting the paper bag filled with groceries down onto the kitchen counter.  
>"Thanks, boss lady!" Kahuna said<p>

Jasmine nodded and walked out of the kitchen to put her bag down in the office. Seeing the crowd start to enter, Jasmine decided to grab a snack before helping out her  
>staff. She picked out a chocolate chip muffin and pinched the corner before putting it in her mouth. She set the plate aside after and walked towards the counter.<p>

"Aloha! Welcome to cross roads café! What can I get you?" Jasmine said

As she looked at the person, she locked eyes with the one person she thought she wasn't going to see again.

"Jasmine?"

Since he recognized her and even called her by name, she couldn't pretend she was someone else.

Jasmine managed a small smile as she said, "Hi Cody… What can I get you?"

With the memories of the times he spent with Jasmine flooding back to him, the memory of him breaking up with her after meeting Brandi came up clearly in his mind.

Realizing she was waiting for an answer, Cody snapped out of his trance and cleared his throat.

"I'll have a black coffee with a beef pastrami sandwich." Cody said  
>"Okay. That will be $7.50. Maena, a black coffee please. Alani, a B.P sandwich please." Jasmine said<p>

Her staff acknowledged Jasmine's orders by saying 'yes' and she turned back just as Cody handed her the money.

She returned him his changed just as he asked, "How have you been?"

The first thing that crossed Jasmine's mind was her urge to yell out at him but since she couldn't do that in public, she merely smiled.

Jasmine handed him the number tag for the food and said, "I've been good."

Cody wanted to talk to her a little longer but seeing the line behind him grow, he gave up. During the time that Cody was there eating, he couldn't help but watch as Jasmine smiled and talked to customers. This reminded him of the time he'd make her smile and their never-ending conversations that went late into the night. He was almost certain this is the last he'll see of her when he remembered that the WWE were still looking for catering for the shows. He took out his cellphone and contacted one of the staff in charge.

Before he left the café, Cody tried to say 'good-bye' to Jasmine but since he couldn't talk to her; He merely smiled at her and being polite, Jasmine returned with a small smile. Cody then left the café while Jasmine returned to serving the customers.


	2. An Opportunity Not To Be Missed

At around 3pm that afternoon, Jasmine went to left the café in the hands of her staff while she went to pick her daughter up from pre-school. After, they headed to the beach.

"Mommy… Why are we at the beach?" Taylor asked

Jasmine merely smiled as she led her daughter towards her best friend who was sitting on a mat a few steps away.

Her best friend turned and said, "Oh! There she is!"

Taylor brightened up and shrieked, "Aunt Barbie!"

Barbie smiled as she stood up to catch Taylor who ran into her arms.

She picked her up and said, "Oh, look at you! You've grown so big!"

Taylor giggled as Barbie gave her a little tickle. Jasmine chuckled and gave her best friend a side hug just as two guys came to join them.

"Hey Jas."  
>"Hey Stu! Hey Ted!"<p>

The guys gave her a hug each before looking at Taylor who was in Barbie's arms.

"Oh, is that my favorite little god-daughter?" Stuart asked  
>"I want a hug!" Ted said<p>

Taylor smiled just as Barbie let her down and Ted kneeled down to receive her hug.

"Shall we go get an ice-cream?" Stuart asked  
>"Yes!" Taylor replied, excitedly<br>"Alright then. Let's go!" Ted said, picking Taylor up.  
>"You two want anything?" Stuart asked Jasmine and Barbie.<p>

The girls shook their heads and the guys brought Taylor to the ice-cream stall located by the surf shop. As soon as the guys were gone, Barbie turned to look at Jasmine.

"How are you?" Barbie asked  
>"Good… I've been busy though. And, Taylor misses the 3 of you so much." Jasmine replied<p>

Barbie laughed, "We saw her just 3 weeks ago!"

"That's Taylor for you." Jasmine said

Even if Jasmine didn't say what was on her mind, Barbie knew that something was bugging her. And that something was none other than Cody.

"So how are you feeling? Ted told us that Cody saw you today." Barbie said

Jasmine sighed, "Yeah… He did. He came into my café. But, we didn't really talk. He just asked how I was and I said I've been good."

"That's all? He didn't even try to strike a conversation with you?" Barbie asked  
>"Well… Even if he had the intention, I didn't give him a chance to. I was so afraid that if we did start a conversation, I might just blurt out that he has a 3-year-old daughter." Jasmine replied<p>

Barbie nodded, understanding where Jasmine was coming from. The only people who knew about Taylor was her, Stuart and Ted. If Jasmine had accidentally told Cody about Taylor, things might turn bad. Just then, Jasmine's iPhone rang and she pulled the phone out of her pocket to hit 'answer'.

"Hello?"  
>"Is this Miss Jasmine from Cross Roads café?"<br>"Yes, this is she. May I know who's calling?"  
>"Hi, Miss Jasmine. This is Riley Winters. I'm calling on behalf of the WWE managing team. We are looking for catering for our superstars during their two shows and your name came in highly recommended. We were wondering if you'd be interested to cater for us?"<br>"Uh… I'd be delighted to. Would you like me to bring some samples over for you to taste?"  
>"That wouldn't be necessary. I took the liberty of heading down to your café to try one of your sandwiches and it's absolutely delicious. We will pay you $3000 for each show. Is that okay with you?"<br>"Uh, definitely! It's more than enough! Thank you so much, Miss Winters!"  
>"We should be thanking you, Miss Jasmine, for willing to accept our request last minute. Could you come down to the Neal S. Blaisdell Center at noon tomorrow?"<br>"No problem!"  
>"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow then."<br>"Yes, see you tomorrow."

Jasmine ended the call and Barbie looked at her, curious to know who it was that called.

"Who was that?" Barbie asked  
>"A Riley Winters from the WWE managing team. Is he new? I haven't heard her name before." Jasmine said<br>"Yeah. She's new. What did she call you for?" Barbie asked  
>"She called to ask if I could do the catering for RAW and Smackdown." Jasmine replied<br>"Really? Did you agree?" Barbie asked  
>"Yeah. I can see my old friends and it will be a good way for the café to gain some more recognition." Jasmine said<br>"Aren't you worried about seeing Cody?" Barbie asked, concerned.

Jasmine thought for a while and for a moment, she had forgotten that Cody is definitely going to be there. Just as she was about to reply, Taylor ran towards Jasmine and sat on her lap.

She smoothed her daughter's hair and said to Barbie, "I'll be fine. Besides, I can rely on you three."

"Rely on us for what?" Stuart asked  
>"To have her back. She's going to be doing the catering." Barbie replied<p>

Ted looked at Jasmine, "Are you sure you want to do it?"

"Yeah. Riley said that I came highly recommended. So, I can't say no, right?" Jasmine said  
>"If you need us, we'll back you up by protecting you and Taylor." Stuart said<br>"Thanks guys." Jasmine said, grateful for their offer.

Taylor looked at Stuart and asked, "Protect me from what?"

"From the tickles!" Barbie said, tickling Taylor's sides.

Taylor giggled and got off Jasmine's lap as she ran around Stuart and Ted to avoid getting caught by Barbie.


	3. Regrets

The next day, Jasmine dropped Taylor off at pre-school before heading to the Neal S. Blaisdell center where her staff had already arrived and began preparing the food.

"Hey guys!" Jasmine greeted her staff, "How's everything?"

"Everything's looking good, boss lady!" Kahuna said

Jasmine smiled at Kahuna just as a woman about the age of 30 entered the cafeteria.

"Jasmine?" She said  
>"That's me. You must be Miss Winters." Jasmine said, putting her hand out for her to shake.<p>

Riley shook Jasmine's hand and said, "Call me Riley."

Jasmine smiled and nodded as they broke the hand shake.

"Thank you so much for being such great caterers. I had expected your staff at noon but they arrived an hour earlier and went straight to work!" Riley said  
>"Thank you for the compliment but I do have to apologize for my arrival. I would have arrived earlier but I had to send my daughter to pre-school." Jasmine said<br>"Oh, no! That's okay! At least you still made it in time." Riley said, with a smile.

Jasmine smiled back before asking, "What time should we start putting out the food?"

"At around 2pm would be good." Riley said

Jasmine nodded and let her staff know right after Riley took her leave. She then proceeded to join them in preparing the food. An hour and a half passed and it was time for Jasmine to pick Taylor up. She decided to go to the toilet first before picking her daughter up. She had arranged to drop Taylor off at Ted's hotel room before returning to the center to help out her staff and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Not having visited the center before, Jasmine wasn't sure where the toilet was. So, she decided to ask one of the WWE superstars in the locker room; since she knew most of them.

"Uh, hello… Sorry to bother you but I'd like to know where the toilets are? This place is pretty big and this is my first time here…" Jasmine said

The guy turned around to face Jasmine and as soon as she saw who it was, she suddenly wished she could pretend she didn't ask anything and leave the room.

"Cody." Jasmine said, softly.  
>"Jasmine? Are you okay?" Cody asked<p>

Jasmine blinked a couple of times before saying, "Y-yeah… I'm good."

He smiled a little and said, "The ladies is round the corner… It's good to see you again, Jasmine. You look great."

Jasmine smiled politely, "Thanks… You too. I see you've been working out a lot. You look really good."

Cody looked at himself before looking back at her shyly, "Yeah…"

Noticing the time on the clock hanging on the wall, she realized that if she didn't leave soon, she would be late in picking Taylor up from pre-school.

"It's really nice to see you, Cody… But, I've gotta run. I'll see you later when you come by to get your dinner." Jasmine said

Cody smiled, "Yeah, definitely."

Jasmine smiled at Cody before running off to the ladies. There after, Jasmine got into her car and drove off to pick Taylor up from pre-school. From there, they headed to the Honolulu Hilton hotel to meet Ted.

"Hey Ted! Thank you so much for doing this!" Jasmine said

Ted smiled, "No problem! I love hanging out with the little pumpkin. Besides, I'm not needed on RAW."

"Uncle Ted!" Taylor said

Ted smiled and picked her up as he planted a kiss on her cheek before he said, "Hey there, little pumpkin."

"Alright… You two have fun. I'll be back later after the show to pick her up." Jasmine said

She looked at her daughter and kissed her head, "Bye, sweetie."

Taylor and Ted both waved good-bye to Jasmine as she got back into the car. She returned to the center and worked with her crew until RAW ended. Jasmine realized that she hadn't seen Cody at the cafeteria and knew that he must have eaten light. She made a set of rosemary chicken sandwich and took a slice of the Reese peanut butter cup pie that she kept aside for Cody. She brought them both to his locker room and knocked on the open door.

Cody was packing up his gym bag when he heard the knock.

"Hey." Jasmine greeted

Cody turned around and smiled as soon as he saw her.

"Hey… I thought you left already." Cody said  
>"Nah… I stayed to clean up with the staff. Anyway, here." Jasmine said, handing Cody the two plastic plates.<p>

He took it from her but gave her a confused look.

"I know you didn't eat a proper meal because you were going out to the ring. Since it's over now, I figured you'd be hungry." Jasmine said  
>"I'm starving." Cody said<p>

He smiled at Jasmine before devouring the sandwich as if he hadn't eaten in days. She laughed a little just as Cody looked up at her with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry…" Cody said  
>"That's okay. It's not the first time I've seen you stuff your face." Jasmine said<p>

Cody looked at Jasmine and asked, "So… What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much… I've got my own café, which you visited. So, I've been pretty busy handling it." Jasmine said  
>"Busy that you haven't got time for a relationship?" Cody asked<p>

He had meant for it to come out as a casual remark but Cody really wanted to know the answer to that question. He was hoping she hadn't moved on since their break-up because he still had feelings for her. Granted, it was a selfish thought but he knew he made a mistake and he only wanted a chance to rectify it.

Just as she wanted to answer his question, Jasmine's iPhone vibrated once in her pocket, indicating that she just received a text message.

"Sorry." Jasmine said, pulling her iPhone out from her pocket.

The text was from Ted's phone and it read, 'Mommy, are you coming to pick me up soon?'. Jasmine smiled and replied, 'On my way, sweetie.', before stuffing her iPhone back into her jeans pocket.

She looked at Cody, "I'm so sorry but I've got to go… I'll see you on Friday."

Although he didn't want her to leave, Cody had no choice but to smile and nod as Jasmine gave him a small smile before walking quickly out of the room. He couldn't deny that a part of him fell apart as he linked the text message to her possible response of being in a relationship. Seeing that smile on her face that he used to see whenever she saw him gave him enough proof that she was indeed seeing someone and if she had answered him, it would have been a 'no'.

Cody finished up the pie and threw the empty plates into the dustbin before picking up his gym bag and heading towards his rental car.


	4. And Now You Know

Jasmine arrived at the hotel in 10 minutes and saw Ted with Taylor in his arms, waiting for her by the open-air car park. She smiled and parked her car before getting out.

"Mommy!" Taylor exclaimed  
>"Hey, sweetie!" Jasmine said, taking Taylor from Ted<br>"I'm happy to report that she's been fed and Barbie gave her a bath." Ted said

Jasmine nodded as she placed Taylor into the toddler car set and strapped her in for safety.

She stood up straight and turned to Ted and hugged him.

"Thanks." Jasmine said  
>"No problem. I'll call you tomorrow." Ted said<p>

Jasmine nodded and said good-bye to Ted as she got into the car, headed for home.

The next day, after dropping Taylor off at pre-school, Jasmine sent her car for maintenance before heading to the café. At around 11am, Jasmine got a call on her iPhone.

"Hello?"  
>"Miss Jasmine? Hi there. This is Miss Aldrin. There's been an accident with Taylor. We're at the Honolulu City Hospital right now."<br>"What? Okay! I'm on my way!"

Jasmine ended the call without finding out what happened before she picked up her bag from her office chair as she ran out the door of her office.

"Alani! I need you to help me look after the café." Jasmine said  
>"What's wrong, boss lady?" Alani asked, worriedly<br>"Taylor's teacher called and said she's in the hospital." Jasmine said  
>"Go boss lady. We'll take care of the café." Maena said<p>

Jasmine nodded and thanked her staff as she ran out the entrance of the café. With too much things on her mind, she didn't see if anyone was coming through the door and bumped into Cody; who was coming in.

"Whoa… Jas? Are you okay?" Cody asked  
>"Yeah… I-I need to get a cab." Jasmine replied, worriedly<p>

Seeing Jasmine in a rather edgy mood, Cody said, "Come on, I'll take you. Where are you headed?"

"Honolulu City Hospital." Jasmine said

Cody wanted to ask her why she needed to go there but seeing Jasmine in such a distraught state, he kept it to himself. So, he said nothing as they both got into his rental car and headed to the hospital.

As soon as they arrived, Jasmine hopped out of the car and ran into the hospital while Cody went to park the car.

"Oh! Miss Jasmine! Over here!"

Jasmine looked over to the seats at the corner and spotted Miss Aldrin waving at her.

She hurriedly made her way over and said, "Miss Aldrin! How's Taylor? What the heck happened?"

"She's getting checked up. The doctor said she suffered an arm fracture when she got pushed off the swing during play time." Miss Aldrin said  
>"What? Who pushed her off the swing!" Jasmine said, her voice getting louder.<br>"A boy named Edward Miller. I'm so sorry, Miss Jasmine. I should have kept my eye on Edward when he started picking on Taylor." Miss Aldrin said  
>"Why did he push my daughter off the swing?" Jasmine said<br>"He told Taylor that she had no father so she wasn't entitled to play on the swing. When Taylor refused to move, he pushed her off. I am so sorry… It's all my fault." Miss Aldrin said

Jasmine looked at Miss Aldrin and sighed, "It's fine, Miss Aldrin… This isn't your fault."

"Edward's parents have been informed about the incident and they've promised to pay Taylor's hospital bills. They would also like to set up a meeting to personally apologize to you." Miss Aldrin said

Jasmine merely nodded just as the nurse came out, carrying a groggy looking Taylor. She handed Taylor back to Jasmine and Taylor hugged her mother tight.

"Mommy…" Taylor said, snuggling up to Jasmine, as she closed her eyes.  
>"How is she?" Jasmine asked the nurse<br>"She suffered a single fracture when she landed on her arm but it's nothing too serious. We gave her some mild anesthesia during the bone setting so she's a little sleepy now. But nothing a little bit of rest can't fix. Her arm is put into a cast and should come off in a month's time. We'll give you a call to remind you when the time comes. Till then, here's some mild painkillers if she needs them. Remember, Taylor's arm should avoid contact with water when bathing." The nurse replied

Jasmine nodded, taking in the instructions the nurse had given her. The nurse handed the painkiller to her before turning to Miss Aldrin.

"I believe you're the teacher who sent her in? Taylor will be unfit for school for at least a week. The doctor said she needs the week to give her bone time to heal." The nurse said  
>"I understand. I'll let the school know." Miss Aldrin said<p>

The nurse nodded and left them to go back to work.

Miss Aldrin turned to Jasmine and said, "I should head back to the school. Don't worry, Miss Jasmine. Edward has been given due punishment. He will be suspended from all play activities in school for 2 weeks."

"Thank you, Miss Aldrin." Jasmine said

Miss Aldrin smiled and nodded at Jasmine before turning around to head to the exit.

"Mommy… Can we go home?" Taylor asked, her eyes closed  
>"Sure, sweetie. Go on and sleep. We'll be home soon." Jasmine replied<p>

Taylor tightened her hold on Jasmine as she turned around to head to the hospital exit. But, she stopped in her tracks when she saw Cody standing just 2 steps behind her.

His jaw tightened as he said, "I'll send you two home."


	5. That's The Truth

The car ride to Jasmine's house was silent. Other than at the beginning of the ride when she told him where she lived, the whole journey was filled with tension and silence. Each time Jasmine looked at Cody, his jaw would tighten and his eyes would show no emotions. They soon arrived at her house and Cody parked his car. He got out first and opened the door for her. Jasmine held onto Taylor as she got out of the car.

"Where's your keys?" Cody asked  
>"In my bag." Jasmine replied<p>

Cody took Jasmine's bag from the car seat and searched for her keys. When he found them, they walked up the front porch towards the door where he unlocked it with the key. He pushed open the door for them to enter first before following behind. He closed the door and locked it while Jasmine carried Taylor up to her room.

She put Taylor down onto her bed and tucked her in with a kiss on her forehead before returning downstairs to see Cody standing there with anger in his eyes.

"Thanks, Cody… For sending us back." Jasmine said  
>"She's your daughter?" Cody asked, his jaw tightening.<br>"Yes." Jasmine replied  
>"How old is she?" Cody asked<br>"Three years old." Jasmine answered  
>"Does Ted know she went to the hospital?" Cody said<br>"No... Why should he be informed?" Jasmine asked, confused by Cody's question.

Cody looked at Jasmine, "Shouldn't her father know? You don't have to deny it. I saw you yesterday at the hotel. You left in the middle of talking to me because you were picking her up from Ted. I can't believe that I actually felt like a jerk for breaking up with you when I clearly still love you. But, there you were! Screwing my best friend who's also a married man and even had a kid! I'm guessing you did this all while you were still dating me, huh?"

Jasmine gave Cody an incredulous and furious look, "How could you?"

She slapped Cody hard across the face as she felt tears threatening to leave her eyes.

"You asshole! Taylor isn't Ted's daughter!" Jasmine exclaimed

Cody gritted his teeth and said, "You're lying. If it is true, why didn't you answer my question? Why did you run off after getting the text?"

"Because it was a text from my daughter! She was wondering where I was! You want me to answer your question? Fine! Here's my answer! You were my first and my last! There was no one after you! Are you happy now?" Jasmine shouted as a few tears escaped her eyes.

Cody looked at her angrily before processing what she just said. In an instant, his brow softened as he looked down and all traces of an angry Cody disappeared as quickly as the anger came and was replaced by a whole lot of guilt. He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling really stupid and upset with himself. He looked at Jasmine, who now turned away from him; not wanting to let Cody see her cry.

"So… She's… She's my daughter?" Cody said, his voice sounding like a whisper.  
>"Her name is Taylor and yes, she's your daughter." Jasmine said, cleaning her tears away with the back of her hand.<br>"Why didn't you tell me?" Cody asked, softly.

Jasmine turned to look at him, "You think I haven't tried? A week after you dumped me, I tried calling you, texting you. I even emailed you but you apparently ignored all of them! My last try to get you was when I went to hand in my resignation letter. I went to the Smackdown venue to look for you but you were too busy making out with Brandi to notice me. I even remembered you telling me that people change; that's why you broke up with me."

She cleaned a stray tear with the back of her hand and said, "When I saw you with Brandi, it became clear to me that no matter how much I wanted you to be a part of Taylor's life, it was impossible for both of us to be together in her life. That's why, I gave up telling you and told Ted and the rest to keep it a secret."

Cody looked at the disappointed look on Jasmine's face and felt his heart ache. He had been the a stupid fool. The dumbest in the entire world. It wasn't Jasmine that he was angry with. It was actually himself. He had been so blinded by lust to figure out that the girl who held his heart since day one was the only girl for him.

"I'm sorry…" Cody said

"Mommy? Are you okay?"

Jasmine turned to look at the stairs just as Taylor ran down towards her. She squat down to Taylor's level as her daughter stood in front of her.

"Hey sweetie… What are you doing up?" Jasmine asked, sniffling.  
>"I heard shouting… Mommy… Why are you crying?" Taylor asked<br>"I'm not…" Jasmine said

Taylor used her little hands to clean Jasmine's tears away and all Jasmine could do was smile as she caught her daughter's hands to kiss it.

"Mommy's not crying. Mommy is just very happy." Jasmine said  
>"Why?" Taylor asked<br>"Remember mommy telling Taylor that daddy was away on a trip and couldn't come home?" Jasmine said

Taylor nodded and Jasmine continued, "Well… Daddy's back."

Taylor turned around and looked at Cody with her big greenish-blue eyes as a smile slowly formed on her face.

"Daddy?" Taylor said

Cody couldn't help but smile as he saw his own features in the little girl who was his daughter.

He picked her up and said, "Hey, princess."

Taylor smiled and giggled as she wrapped her small arms around Cody's neck.

"Read me a story, daddy!" Taylor said

Cody looked at Jasmine, who nodded in approval.

"Sure, princess. Let's go." Cody said, walking up the stairs towards Taylor's room.

Watching Cody and Taylor laughing and bonding instantly, made Jasmine smile a little. Yes, she was angry with him but seeing her daughter so happy was the only thing that mattered to her the most.


	6. Maybe It's A Start

The next morning, Jasmine woke up expecting to find herself on her sofa, since she fell asleep on it while waiting for Cody to come down. But, instead, she found herself back in her bed. She got up and walked out of her room; headed to Taylor's room to see if she's awake. When she opened the door, hoping to find her daughter, she was instead, greeted by an empty room.

As if on cue, Jasmine heard giggling and a little girl screaming excitedly. It was coming from the back of the house; where their private beach, which came with the house, was located. Jasmine walked downstairs to the back porch and leaned against the door frame as she watched Taylor and Cody play catch.

Feeling someone watching him, Cody turned around and smiled at Jasmine. She couldn't help but return with a small smile.

"Hey princess! Mommy's awake!" Cody said, turning back to Taylor.

Taylor stopped running and turned to look at Jasmine, "Mommy!"

Jasmine smiled and waved at Taylor, who was smiling happily at her.

"Come on, princess! Let's go wash your hands and get ready for breakfast!" Cody said

Taylor nodded and ran back into the house while Cody followed behind her.

"Cody… What are you doing?" Jasmine asked as Cody was about to pass her.

"Being a father and a husband." Cody replied, "And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

He gave her his famous Cody Rhodes smile before walking into the house towards the sink where Taylor was standing in front of. After he helped her to wash her hands, Cody sat her down on the seat in front of the kitchen island. Jasmine sat down next to Taylor while Cody stood behind the kitchen island, near the stove.

"Mommy! Daddy's making Mickey Mouse pancakes!" Taylor exclaimed, happily

Jasmine smiled at her daughter, "Really?"

Taylor nodded as Cody turned around and smiled at her. Jasmine watched as Cody messed around in the kitchen and flipped pancakes, much to Taylor's delight. After 10 minutes of constant flipping, Cody switched off the stove and turned around with two plates of pancakes.

He walked to where they were sitting and put Taylor's plate in front of her making her squeal in delight upon seeing the chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes. Cody put Jasmine's plate in front of her after adding some scrambled eggs to it.

"Just the way you like it." Cody said

Jasmine couldn't help but smile as she ate a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"Thank you." Jasmine said  
>"Anything for my wife." Cody said<p>

Jasmine wanted to correct him but before she could get a chance to do so, Cody leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips.

"Eww, daddy!" Taylor giggled

Cody smiled and turned to kiss Taylor's cheeks, making her giggle louder. She wiggled out from under Cody and ran before he tried to catch her. Jasmine laughed as she watched Cody catch Taylor to tickle her. This had been the scene that Jasmine constantly played in her head. She had always hoped that this would be the environment Taylor would grow up in. And maybe, just maybe… It is possible. She finished up her breakfast and washed the dishes while Cody and Taylor continued playing together.

As she finished drying the last plate, the doorbell rang. She dried her hand on the towel by the sink and hurried to the door. She opened it to see her mechanic and good friend, Uncle Bobby, standing there.

"Aloha, Jasmine!" Uncle Bobby greeted  
>"Aloha, Uncle Bobby." Jasmine said<p>

Uncle Bobby smiled, "I brought your car back for you."

Jasmine followed Uncle Bobby towards her Volkswagen Golf that was parked neatly next to Cody's rental car.

"Mahalo, Uncle Bobby." Jasmine said  
>"No problem! You're like my daughter. Don't be so courteous." Uncle Bobby said<p>

Just then, Cody came out onto the front porch, carrying Taylor.

"Aloha, Uncle Bobby!" Taylor shouted

Uncle Bobby smiled and said, "Aloha, Taylor."

He looked at Cody and in an instant, Uncle Bobby had on a poker face as he looked Cody up and down. Cody gave him a polite nod but Uncle Bobby ignored him.

"What's the lolo buggah doing here?" Uncle Bobby asked

Jasmine chuckled and said, "I don't know… I think he's trying to be a part of Taylor's life."

"For good?" Uncle Bobby asked

Jasmine shrugged, "I don't know… Maybe? He's got a WWE show this Friday. I'll only know after that."

Uncle Bobby nodded, "Well… We'll see then. If the lolo buggah doesn't make the right choice, you just tell me."

Jasmine laughed slightly and nodded, "I will, Uncle Bobby."

He smiled back as he gave Jasmine a nod before getting into his tow truck and driving off. Jasmine turned around to see Cody looking at her with a curious look.

"What?" Jasmine asked, "Where's Taylor?"

"She said it's time for Sesame Street so I put her down." Cody said

Jasmine nodded and was about to enter the house when Cody stood in front of her blocking her way.

"Cody… You're in my way." Jasmine said  
>"I know… That's the point. So… Who was that?" Cody asked<br>"Uncle Bobby. He's my mechanic and a good friend. He and his wife had been taking care of me and Taylor since we moved here." Jasmine replied

Feeling guilty for not being there for her, all Cody could do was just nod.

"Anything else?" Jasmine asked  
>"Yes. What's 'lolo buggah'?" Cody asked<p>

Jasmine chuckled, "I think it's better if you don't know."

"Tell me." Cody said

Jasmine shook her head and Cody started to tickle her. The more she refused, the more he tickled her. The two laughed and Jasmine wanted to escape from Cody; only to trip over her own foot and collide into him, with her landing on top of him.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: Lolo buggah = A stupid or crazy man. (According to google search results) <strong>


	7. I'm Her Dad

Despite being in a situation that should make Jasmine uncomfortable, they both looked at each other for a while; as memories of the time they had together came flooding back. Cody was just about to kiss Jasmine when they heard Taylor call out.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Taylor said

Jasmine quickly got off Cody and sat up, so that she's at Taylor's eye level.

"Yes, sweetie?" Jasmine asked  
>"I can't find Cookie Monster." Taylor replied<p>

Cody sat up, "Did you check your room, princess?"

Taylor nodded, "Yes… But I still can't find him."

"Don't worry. We'll find him, princess." Cody said, as he stood up to carry her.

Jasmine stood up next to Cody and said, "I think she might have left it at the pre-school."

"We'll go get it back then." Cody said

With Taylor in his arms, Cody took Jasmine's car keys from the bowl by the door before making their way to Jasmine's car. He put Taylor into the toddler car seat and strapped her in before he and Jasmine got into the front of the car. Cody started up the engine and within minutes, they were en-route to Taylor's pre-school.

They arrived at the school in 10 minutes and parked the car before going into the school.

"Miss Jasmine? What are you doing here?" Miss Aldrin asked, closing the classroom door behind her.  
>"I'm sorry to disturb, Miss Aldrin. But, Taylor left her cookie monster soft toy in class so we came to get it." Jasmine replied<br>"Oh! I was wondering who's toy it was. Come on, Taylor." Miss Aldrin said, opening the door for Taylor.

Taylor walked in before Miss Aldrin and almost immediately spotted her cookie monster which was in Edward's hands.

"Cookie Monster…" Taylor said, looking at her toy.

Miss Aldrin looked at Edward, "Edward… That isn't yours. Give Cookie Monster back to Taylor."

"No!" Edward said  
>"But, it's mine…" Taylor said<p>

Edward stuck out his tongue before saying, "Too bad. You don't have a dad so now it's mine!"

"Edward Miller!" Miss Aldrin exclaimed

Jasmine was about to go in and give the kid a piece of her mind without censorship when Cody held her hand, to stop her from moving forward.

"Let me handle this." Cody said

Jasmine looked at him and nodded. As soon as Cody stepped into the classroom, several of the little boys sitting in the front immediately recognized him and started staring at him with wide eyes.

"Hey. You're Edward Miller?" Cody asked

Edward looked at Cody and nodded as he dropped Taylor's cookie monster onto the floor.

"Cody Rhodes…" Edward said, in admiration.  
>"Yes, that's me. And, I'm Taylor's dad." Cody said<p>

Taylor picked up her toy from the floor just as Edward said, "I'm sorry, Taylor."

She looked at Edward and smiled, "That's okay."

Jasmine smiled as she stood outside watching her daughter handle the situation maturely, even though she's only 3. Cody looked at Jasmine and smiled too.

"Good job, Edward! Good job, Taylor! Learning to forgive and forget is very important." Miss Aldrin said

Just then, the school bell rang; indicated break time.

Ms Aldrin turned to her class and said, "Alright class! It's break time!"

The little kids cheered and stopped what they were doing as they all ran out to play. As his classmates all left the classroom, Edward sat down in a corner by himself, since he was being punished. Taylor walked over to him and sat down next to him.

Miss Aldrin smiled, "Taylor's a very sweet girl."

"Just like her mother." Cody said, smiling at the thought of Jasmine.

Miss Aldrin nodded and looked at Cody, "Which reminds me. I'm Miss Aldrin. Taylor's teacher."

"Cody Runnels. I just got back after a business trip cause I was based in another country." Cody said  
>"Yes... I was told by Miss Jasmine." Miss Aldrin said<p>

She walked over to her desk and took out Taylor's homework, which she handed to Jasmine.

"I was going to send them to you after school but, since you're here, I can give them to you." Miss Aldrin said  
>"Thank you, Miss Aldrin." Jasmine said<p>

She smiled, "No problem."

They left the classroom and stood in the hallway while Jasmine checked through Taylor's homework.

"What did you say to her?" Jasmine said  
>"I just told her that I am Taylor's dad and I just got back from a business trip. Which is partly true... Minus the irresponsible asshole part." Cody said<p>

Jasmine laughed softly and shook her head as she browsed through Taylor's homework.

Cody looked at Taylor, who was now in his arms and whispered, "Shall we give mommy a kiss?"

Taylor giggled happily and nodded. The two of them leaned in and planted a kiss each, on the side of Jasmine's face. Cody turned to Taylor and they both laughed as did Jasmine before they left the school.


	8. Double Duty

After leaving the pre-school, they headed over to Jasmine's café.

"Hey guys!" Jasmine greeted, walking into the café.  
>"Morning, boss lady!" Alani said, from behind the counter.<p>

Kahuna walked out from the kitchen, "Good morning, boss lady!"

He looked at Cody, who was behind Jasmine and carrying Taylor in his arms.

Recognizing him, Kahuna asked, "Hey... Aren't you the wrestler?"

Cody nodded and put out his free hand, "I'm Cody Runnels."

Kahuna shook his hand and introduced himself as well as the other staff.

"Wait… Are you Taylor's father?" Maena asked  
>"Yes, he is!" Taylor replied on behalf of Cody.<p>

Maena narrowed her eyes at Cody, "You better treat boss lady right now or you're not gonna leave Honolulu in one piece."

Cody gulped and Jasmine laughed, knowing that her staff was threatening Cody for her benefit. Jasmine walked into her office as Taylor came into her office after Cody let her down. She went to the play table in the corner while Jasmine sat down at her desk to begin plans for the show on Friday.

5 minutes through her paperwork, she realized that she had forgotten all about Cody. She looked up from her papers and searched for Cody; finding him at the counter, serving customers. She smiled to herself as she watched him serve customers like he's a professional.

* * *

><p>That night, after putting Taylor to sleep, Jasmine walked to the back porch where she found Cody sitting on the steps with a bottle of beer in his hand.<p>

"Hey." Jasmine said

Cody turned around and smiled, "Hey."

She sat down next to him and said, "Thanks for everything you did today… I've never seen Taylor this happy before."

"It's my duty to make her happy. I'm her father and I'm going to prove that I can be a good husband too." Cody said

Jasmine looked at him, "Cody…"

Cody held Jasmine's hand, "I know that I must have been the biggest asshole in the entire world but I never stopped loving you. Those mean things I said yesterday were all in the heat of the moment. I guess I thought that I lost my chance with you."

Jasmine didn't know what to say. She had been waiting for this scene to come true ever since she gave birth to Taylor. Now that she was hearing this from Cody, she didn't know how to react. All the pain and heartache she went through was just too much to forget in an instant.

Cody sensed her hesitation and said, "I get it if you don't want to see me again. What I did to you was the dumbest thing I've ever done. But whatever it is, I wanted to let you know that I still love you. Brandi and I broke up a month after we got together because you were always on my mind and she wasn't you. I thought that she was but she just manipulated me into thinking so. After Ted made me find out her true colors, I found out you quit. No matter how hard I tried to forget you, I just couldn't. It was then that I knew you're the only one for me."

He reached over to hold her hand and said, "I love you, Jasmine. I always have. I was just too stupid to realize it."

Hearing those three words leave Cody's mouth, Jasmine felt her heart swell with the love she had kept inside her for him. Thinking he blew his chance, he lightly squeezed her hand before letting it go to stand up.

"Where are you going?" Jasmine asked  
>"Back to the hotel. It's getting late." Cody replied<br>"So you're going to shirk your responsibilities again?" Jasmine said

Cody looked at her as she stood up.

"Taylor didn't have a dad for 3 years. Surely you're not going to break her heart by leaving again, right?" Jasmine asked  
>"Of course not." Cody replied<br>"Then stay… I'll have the couch set up for you." Jasmine said

Just as Jasmine was about to walk off, Cody held onto her hand.

"What about us?" Cody asked

Jasmine turned around, "I need some time to think about us, Cody. These 3 years have been pretty rough for me and all the heartache I went through was just too much to handle."

Cody nodded and said, "I understand."

She gave him a small smile before he let go of her hand. She headed upstairs to get a pillow and a blanket for Cody before coming down to set the couch up for him. She brought a clean set of pajamas down and passed it to him.

"It was a gift from Barbie and Souray. They thought some day it might come in handy once we got married." Jasmine said  
>"It's supposed to be a couples' set?" Cody asked, looking at her pajamas.<br>"Yeah… I know it's kinda weird to wear it but I've been wearing this quite often so… I understand if you don't want to change into it. But, I thought it be best for you to have a change of clothes." Jasmine replied

Cody smiled and said, "No, it's okay. I'd like to see how we look like wearing matching pajamas."

Jasmine merely smiled before saying, "Well… You can use the bathroom here to take a shower. There's clean towels and a clean toothbrush."

"You have guests over all the time?" Cody asked  
>"No… I just have it in case this scenario happened. Which is happening right now." Jasmine replied<p>

Cody looked at her and she looked away quickly; although Cody did see the look of hope in her eyes.

"I should go to sleep now… It's getting late… See you tomorrow." Jasmine said

Cody nodded and watched as she turned around to head up the stairs, back to her room. As soon as he heard the door close, he smiled at the pajamas and held it close to him as he walked to the bathroom to take a shower before he called it a day.


	9. I Can't Deny It Anymore

**Author's Note: This is only the second time I've written a sex scene so please be nice! **

As she closed the door to her room, she sat down on the bed to think about what had happened. Cody wanted to come back into her life but was she ready for it to happen? Was she able to forget all the heartache she went through every night for the past 3 years thinking about all the 'what ifs'? Before she could think some more, the door opened and in walked Taylor, who was clutching onto her cookie monster.

"Mommy…" Taylor said

Jasmine looked up and smiled, "Hey sweetie… Why aren't you asleep?"

"Daddy didn't tell me a story." Taylor said

Jasmine chuckled and carried Taylor onto her lap, "Well… Daddy's busy. Why don't mommy tell you a story?"

Taylor shook her head, "No… I want daddy to tell me a story. He does it with funny voices."

Jasmine tugged a stray hair behind Taylor's ear for her and said, "Alright… We'll go find daddy."

Taylor smiled and held onto Jasmine as she stood up to go downstairs to find Cody. She just reached the bottom of the stairs when Cody came out from the bathroom.

"Daddy!" Taylor said as she turned around to extend her arms towards Cody.  
>"Hey princess!" Cody said<p>

He threw the towel that was around his neck onto the sofa and carried Taylor out of Jasmine's arms.

"She wanted you to tell her a story. She chose you over me cause you can do funny voices." Jasmine said  
>"Did she?" Cody asked, looking at Taylor who covered her smile with her hands.<br>"I'll see you tomorrow morning then, sweetheart." Jasmine said, giving Taylor a kiss on her cheek.

Just as Jasmine was about to walk up the stairs, Taylor said, "Mommy… You didn't kiss daddy."

Jasmine turned around and Cody looked at her; wondering if she was going to kiss him.

She smiled at Taylor and said, "Oh! I forgot."

She turned to Cody and kissed him on the cheek before saying to Taylor, "Thank you for reminding me."

Taylor smiled and Jasmine smiled back at her and Cody before walking up the stairs.

Cody smiled to himself before turning to Taylor, "Shall we go upstairs for a story?"

Taylor nodded happily as Cody climbed the staircase up to Taylor's room.

* * *

><p>Jasmine was reading her storybook on her bed when she heard Taylor's door close. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and realized that she had been reading for a whole hour. She was about to turn in for the night when she heard a knock on her door. She got up from her bed and went to open the door.<p>

"Hey." Cody said  
>"Hey… Is she asleep?" Jasmine asked<br>"Yeah. I guess The Lorax put her to sleep." Cody replied

Jasmine laughed, "And here I was thinking she liked the book."

Cody laughed with her for a while before they both stopped as they looked at each other.

"The pajamas looks good on you." Jasmine said, trying to eliminate the silence between them.  
>"Uh, yeah… We look just like husband and wife." Cody said<p>

Jasmine nodded and mumbled, "Yeah…"

Looking at Jasmine, Cody knew that it was now or never. He didn't want Jasmine to think about 'us'. He wanted her back and he knows that she must feel the same way. It was stupid of him to give her so much heartache but he knew that he would give her his whole life to redeem himself for those mistakes.

"I know you said that you needed time to think about us…" Cody said  
>"Cody…" Jasmine said, wanting the topic to change.<br>"But I don't want to wait for you to think about us. I know it's selfish on my part to want you to forget about the heartache I gave you but I want you back, Jas. I would give my whole life to you to redeem myself if I have to. I'm a stupid, arrogant jerkface loser. And I know I shouldn't even have a chance to want you and Taylor in my life. But, I don't care anymore. You're the one I want to grow old with as we watch Taylor and our other kids grow up. You're the only one I love and I wouldn't want any other. Please… Just give me a chance." Cody said

Jasmine looked at Cody and she knew that even if she had all the time in the world to think about their relationship, she would always come back to the same answer.

She sighed and said to herself, "Screw this."

Cody chuckled and said, "So I take it as you're giving me a chance?"

"Just shut up and kiss me before I change my mind." Jasmine said

Cody smiled and leaned into kiss Jasmine. Their kiss deepened and intensified as Cody carried her up and kicked the door close. They fell onto the bed, still kissing and Cody broke the kiss. As the moment heated up, Cody quickly unbuttoned his shirt only to get impatient with the number of buttons and eventually ripping them off as he threw it across the room.

Jasmine laughed and said, "Barbie isn't going to be pleased about this."

"Well… It is meant to be ripped off since it is a sleepwear." Cody said

He tried unbuttoning Jasmine's shirt but got irritated and ripped it off as well, throwing it across the room.

"Now we have a ripped pair." Cody said

Jasmine chuckled as Cody leaned into kiss her. As they kissed, Cody's hands moved down her body to remove the pants she was wearing. He untied the ribbon holding the pants up and broke the kiss to pull it down, together with her panties. He took off his as well before returning to kiss her lips again, as if it was some kind of drug he couldn't get enough of.

He spread her legs with his knee and readied himself. Not her a second to ready herself, he thrust into her, gaining a moan from her.

"You're so tight." Cody whispered into her ear, "And it feels so good."

Jasmine couldn't construct a sentence. All she thought about was how much pleasure she was feeling. As she got adjusted to his size, Cody started to thrust in and out at a rhythmic speed. The sound of his thrusts and their moans flooded the room. He leaned into kiss Jasmine when he realized that they were getting really loud and Taylor might wake up at any moment.

He sped up his thrusts as he felt himself close to his release.

"I'm coming, babe." Cody said breathlessly into her ear.

Jasmine held him close as she tightened around him, which pushed him to the edge.

"Fuck, Jasmine!" Cody groaned

Jasmine bit into Cody's shoulder to prevent herself from screaming as she felt her high. Cody slowed his thrusts as he came down from his high, letting Jasmine milk him for all his worth. They held each other for a while before Cody looked at her.

"I love you." Cody said

Jasmine smiled weakly, "I love you too."

He kissed her one more time before pulling out of her and pulling the covers over them. Cody pulled her close to him as he kissed the back of her neck before the couple drifted off to sleep.


	10. Staying For Good

The next morning, Jasmine woke up to find Cody's arm draped around her waist. She smiled to herself as she felt Cody nuzzle her neck and tightened his hold around her waist. She looked at the clock on her night stand and it was coming to 8am. She tried to loosen Cody's hold on her but that only made him hold her tighter.

"Cody… I got to get changed. Taylor's going to wake up any minute." Jasmine said  
>"No… I'll go." Cody said<p>

Before Jasmine could protest, Cody kissed her cheek and released his hold on her before standing up and stretching. She turned around and chuckled as Cody picked up the top he ripped.

"We got to clear this out so that Taylor wouldn't see it." Cody said  
>"You were the one who ripped it so you clear it." Jasmine said<p>

Cody laughed as he found his pants and boxers in a pile. He put it on and crawled back onto the bed, towering over Jasmine.

"That will mean I have to clear out more of the clothes." Cody said  
>"Seriously? Cody!" Jasmine said<p>

Cody grinned before leaning in to kiss Jasmine on the lips. When he broke the kiss, she noticed a bruise on Cody's shoulder. She gasped and covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

"What?" Cody asked  
>"Uh… I kinda…" Jasmine replied, pointing at his shoulder.<p>

"Yeah… I know." Cody said, "And I'll get you back for this bite."

"Sorry…" Jasmine said

Cody smiled and shook his head, "Not accepting that apology. You just wait till I get you back."

Before Jasmine could say anything else, Cody got off the bed and headed over to Taylor's room. She chuckled to herself before getting off the bed to wash up and change into something comfortable. After she was done, she picked up the clothes on the floor and threw them into the laundry basket, smiling to herself when bits of memory from last night came into her mind. This was the life she always dreamt she'd have after finding out she was pregnant with Taylor. When she was done, she headed downstairs to see Cody making breakfast again.

Taylor turned around on the chair and said, "Morning, mommy!"

Jasmine smiled, "Morning, sweetheart!"

"Daddy's making sausage and eggs!" Taylor exclaimed  
>"Really?" Jasmine said<p>

Taylor nodded as Jasmine came to sit down next to her. In front of her, on the table sat a glass of orange juice and she picked it up for a sip.

"Daddy… Are you going to leave again?" Taylor asked, out of the blue.

Cody switched off the stove and looked at her just as Jasmine looked at the two of them.

"No princess. I'm not going to leave. I'm going to stay." Cody said  
>"YAY!" Taylor exclaimed<p>

Cody looked at Jasmine and she smiled, showing that she truly believed him now. Just then, the doorbell rang. She walked over to the door and opened it. To her surprise, standing at her door were none other than her friends.

"Surprise!" Barbie exclaimed  
>"Barbie? Guys? What are you doing here?" Jasmine asked<br>"Barbs said she hasn't been able to contact you for the past 2 days so she said to come see you in order to end her worries." Stuart replied  
>"Who's that?" Cody asked, carrying Taylor as he walked over to the door.<br>"So there's where he is." Ted said

Barbie looked at Cody then back at Jasmine, "What is he doing here?"

"It's a long story… Come on in, guys." Jasmine said, stepping aside for her friends to come in.

The three of them entered the house carrying food along with them.

"We thought we could do a barbeque here…" Stuart said, raising the paper bag.  
>"You guys go set it up. We need some girl time." Barbie said<p>

Before Jasmine could say anything further, Barbie grabbed her by the wrist towards the study. As soon as she closed the door, she turned to look at Jasmine.

"Explain." Barbie said, "I thought you said you were never going to forgive him?"

"I know… I did. But… He's making an effort, Barbs." Jasmine said  
>"What kind of effort? Jas… He left you when you were pregnant." Barbie said<br>"I know… But you and I both know it's because he didn't know beforehand." Jasmine said

Barbie sighed, "Jas… It's not my duty to tell you how to run your life. But… Are you sure you want to give that ass another chance? I don't want to have to remind you that you were alone when you gave birth to Taylor."

"I wasn't really alone… You guys rushed over after I gave birth." Jasmine said  
>"That's beside the point, Jas. He wasn't there when he should have been." Barbie said<br>"Barbs… I still love him. I know that he's not exactly ideal right now for me but I think he deserves another chance." Jasmine said

Barbie looked at Jasmine and said, "Does he love you like you love him?"

"He said he never stopped." Jasmine said

Barbie nodded, "Fine… If that's good enough for you then it's good enough for me. But… If he should break your heart again, I am not going to forgive him. In fact, I'll make his life a living hell."

Jasmine smiled and said, "Thank you, Barbs."

Barbie merely smiled as she opened her arms to give Jasmine a hug before the two girls went back outside.


	11. The Difference Between A Want And A Need

Barbie walked out to the back of the house where the guys and Taylor were huddled around the barbeque on the beach. Jasmine, on the other hand, went into the kitchen, where Stuart was preparing the food for the grill.

"Everything okay?" Stuart asked  
>"Yeah… All's good." Jasmine replied<br>"So I'm guessing you and Cody are back together?" Stuart said  
>"Yeah… I've decided to give him a second chance." Jasmine said<p>

Stuart put the pepper shaker down and said, "I'm glad you've decided to give him another shot. But, if he ever screws up again, I'll be here to kick his sorry ass into space and beyond."

Jasmine laughed and said, "That's a little far but I guess that's a good deal."

While Ted played with Taylor, Barbie stood next to Cody to help him prepare the grill.

"You know… This past 3 years have been very hard on the two of them. I don't know why she'd give you another chance cause if I were her, I wouldn't even allow you near me." Barbie said  
>"I know… I haven't exactly been the best guy to date… Much less marry." Cody said<p>

Barbie looked at Cody, "It's good that you know that. Which man lets the mother of their child give birth to their kid all by herself? With only the doctor and the few nurses by her side?"

"Why didn't you guys tell me?" Cody asked  
>"Because she swore us to secrecy and none of us really wanted to let you know you had an adorable daughter, even if she didn't make us keep it a secret." Barbie replied<p>

Cody nodded, "I understand. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't tell me too."

"Look… I'm not saying that you're not good for her nor am I sentencing you to a life imprisonment in the prison for jerks, for being the biggest jerk on earth. But, Jasmine is my best friend and the most amazing person I know. She shouldn't have gone through all those heartache you gave her. It was so hard seeing her try to live her life as a dad and a mom for Taylor. If you have never stopped loving her like you told her… You have to start making it up to her. You have to be the man that knows what he needs and not what he wants." Barbie said

Cody looked at Barbie, "How do I do that?"

"That's something only you would know. But, from where I'm standing, I can see you're making an effort." Barbie said

Cody looked at her to see her looking out at Taylor, who was standing near the ocean with Ted. Seeing her wave at them, Cody now knew what Barbie meant. He was making an effort to be a part of Taylor and Jasmine's life because they were the two people he knew he needed in his life.


	12. I Smell Sabotage

**Author's Note: Hello dear readers! I am so sorry that I haven't been posting regularly! I was super busy with school, exams and the upcoming trip I have to the USA! :) But, now that school and exams are finally over with, I have a week free till my trip! So, I'll be updating the stories regularly and posting new stories too! Anywho, on with the next chapter! :)**

The next day, Jasmine was busy helping her staff prepare for the day's lunch. She had brought Taylor along and Cody was more than delighted to introduce almost everyone he met to his daughter. So, while she worked, he carried her off towards the locker room to begin his introductions.

"Boss lady… How's the wrestler treating you?" Alani asked  
>"Hmm... He's treating me well." Jasmine replied, with a smile.<br>"Good. He better. Cause if he doesn't, you must tell us. My brah will call his gang members to help." Kahuna said  
>"Oh no! That's okay! Currently we don't need his help. But, thank you, Kahuna." Jasmine said<p>

Kahuna nodded as he went back to preparing the salad. Jasmine brought out the key lime pie and placed it on the buffet table just as Taylor came running towards her.

"Mommy!" Taylor exclaimed

She smiled and lifted her daughter up, "Hello, you. Where have you been?"

"Daddy brought me to see his friends!" Taylor said  
>"Really? How was it?" Jasmine asked<br>"Fun!" Taylor replied  
>"Who did you meet?" Jasmine asked<br>"Uncle John! Big Show!" Taylor exclaimed

Jasmine chuckled as she sat down at one of the tables with Taylor on her lap to listen to her adventures. She was talking about one of the wrestlers when Jasmine saw Cody walking up to them.

"Is my princess telling mommy about our adventures?" Cody asked, sitting down.  
>"Yup!" Taylor exclaimed<br>"I've never seen her talk so much before." Jasmine said to Cody.

Cody laughed, "I know. John Cena was surprised she's only 3."

Jasmine laughed and nodded as she played with Taylor's hair. A few minutes later, Barbie, Ted and Stuart came to join them at the table. Kahuna came out from the kitchen and walked towards Jasmine.

"Boss lady… Uh... I need to talk to you." Kahuna said  
>"Sure. No problem." Jasmine said<p>

She passed Taylor over to Barbie, since Cody was engaged in a conversation with the guys.

"I'll be right back." Jasmine said

Barbie nodded as she now started a conversation with Taylor. Jasmine and Kahuna walked back to the kitchen and in front of them were several pies that looked like they had been run over by a truck.

"Oh my goodness! What happened?" Jasmine said  
>"I don't know, boss lady. I went to the toilet and when I came back, they were all destroyed. I took them out to cool and they looked alright before I left!" Kahuna said<p>

Jasmine rubbed her temple a little as she thought of a solution to the problem at hand.

"Okay. I'll go get some more ingredients. Do you think you'll have enough time to make the pies for tonight?" Jasmine asked  
>"Shouldn't be a problem. I can just make a simple pecan pie instead of the dark chocolate brownie pie." Kahuna said<br>"Alright. Do we have the stuff for that? Or is there anything you need?" Jasmine asked

Kahuna looked at the ingredients on the table before saying, "I just need some more flour and butter. And pecans."

Jasmine nodded, "Got it. I'll be back in a jiffy."

Kahuna nodded as he cleared the pies away. Jasmine picked up her bag as she hurried out of the kitchen back to the table.

"What's going on?" Barbie asked  
>"Something happened to the pies in the kitchen. I've got to go get some more ingredients." Jasmine replied<br>"Do you need me to go with you?" Cody asked, standing up.  
>"No, it's fine. You should prepare for the house show. I'll be back really soon." Jasmine replied<br>"The show doesn't start till 7pm. I can go with you." Cody said

Jasmine shook her head, "It's okay. I'll go alone. The supermarket is just 2 blocks down. You stay here and take care of Taylor."

"Alright. If you need me, I'll come over." Cody said

Jasmine nodded as Cody leaned into kiss her before she kissed Taylor's head.

"I'll see you guys later!" Jasmine said

They nodded and bid her good-bye as she hurried towards her car to drive to the nearest supermarket.


	13. It Was Just Temporary Bliss

After collecting the necessary ingredients from the different aisles, Jasmine was walking towards the cashier when she bumped into another person's trolley.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Jasmine said

She looked at the person and almost instantly recognized who it was.

"Brandi?" Jasmine said

She smiled and pat a little boy's head before saying, "Yup. That's me. Oh, you're Cody's ex-girlfriend right? Cody told me so much about you."

"You're still in contact with Cody?" Jasmine asked  
>"Of course we are. We're married and this is his son." Brandi replied<p>

Jasmine stepped back a little as she tried to process what Brandi just told her. Before Brandi could continue, Jasmine hurriedly moved her trolley away towards the cashier. Brandi smirked before she handed the trolley back to a woman she had borrowed it from.

Jasmine quickly paid for the ingredients and walked back to her car. As soon as she closed the door, the floodgates opened and she started crying. Cody lied to her. He didn't break up with Brandi after all. In fact, he had married her and even had a kid with her. All those things he said to her were lies. He lied to her, he lied to Taylor and she meant the world to Jasmine.

She pulled into the arena's driveway and got out of the car after composing herself. She walked into the kitchen just as Kahuna was preparing the pizza.

"Hey Kahuna. I got your stuff." Jasmine said, trying her hardest not to sound like she just cried.

Kahuna turned around with a smile about to take the groceries from Jasmine when he noticed her red nose and tear-stained cheeks.

"Boss lady? Are you okay?" Kahuna asked

Jasmine mustered the best fake smile she had and said, "I'm good."

Kahuna had worked with Jasmine since day one and he knew her pretty well. Each time she had a rough day, Kahuna always knew to push her to air her unhappiness. But, this time, he knew he shouldn't press her further so he just nodded as he took the groceries from her.

"I'm not feeling very well so I'm going to tell Miss Winters to let you guys take over, 'kay?" Jasmine said

Kahuna nodded, "Okay. Rest well, boss lady."

Jasmine gave Kahuna a real smile this time and said, "Thank you."

She walked out to the tables and saw everyone gathered there still. Cody looked up and smiled at her but Jasmine didn't look at him.

She turned to Barbie, "Barbs, could you take Taylor out for a while?"

Barbie looked at Jasmine with a rather concerned look but said, "Sure."

"Sweetie… Go and have a walk with aunt Barbie, okay?" Jasmine said to Taylor

Taylor nodded as she got off Barbie's lap and held her hand as they both walked out.

"What's wrong, Jas?" Cody asked, reaching out to take her hand.

Jasmine stepped back and said, "Don't touch me!"

"What's going on, Jas?" Stuart asked

She looked at Cody and without saying a single word, slapped him hard across the face. Ted and Stuart stepped back a little in shock as did Cody after getting hit.

"Jasmine! Why did you do that for?" Ted asked, startled by her action.

But she didn't look at Ted or even answer his question. She looked was still looking at Cody as tears started welling up in her eyes.

"You asshole. When were you going to tell me that you're married to Brandi? What kind of prank are you trying to pull on me? You didn't break up with Brandi at all! The two of you even have a son! Everything you said to me was a lie! Why would you do that to me or even Taylor?" Jasmine said  
>"But I've broken up with Brandi! I don't know where you heard that but it isn't true!" Cody said<br>"I didn't hear about it! I saw it! I bumped into her at the supermarket and I saw the ring! I saw your son! Stop making excuses, Cody!" Jasmine shouted  
>"Jasmine, I swear. Hear me out. Brandi's faking it. We are not together anymore! I don't even have a son!" Cody said<br>"Oh, like how you think I must have faked it about Taylor? Screw you, Cody. I don't ever want to see you again so don't even think of coming near my daughter again." Jasmine said

Cody tried to grab onto one of Jasmine's hands as she turned to try and explain himself but he couldn't. He sighed heavily as Jasmine walked out of the cafeteria, leaving him with Ted and Stuart.

"You bastard." Ted said

Cody turned to the two of them, "Guys, you have to believe me. You two knew I broke up with Brandi. How could I be married to her?"

"I don't know, Cody. You tell me!" Stuart said, "I knew it was too good to be true when you said you loved Jasmine. You're a player. And that's what you will always be."

"Guys, you know me! I will never do anything to hurt Jasmine. Brandi and I have truly broken up. I have never ever proposed to her!" Cody said  
>"Save it, Cody. Ted, could you tell Teddy I've got something urgent to attend to? I'm not appearing tonight." Stuart said<p>

Ted nodded, knowing what Stuart meant. Meanwhile, Jasmine was standing by her car waiting for Barbie. With Taylor in her arms, they walked up to Jasmine.

"Hey guys." Jasmine said

Taylor frowned a little, "Mommy… Have you been crying?"

"No, sweetie. Mommy's just not feeling well. Aunt Barbie's going to take care of you, okay? She'll bring you back home afterwards." Jasmine said

Taylor nodded as Jasmine looked at Barbie and she nodded too. Being best friends for quite a long time, Barbie knew Jasmine pretty well to know things without having to ask them. Jasmine gave her a grateful smile before passing her a spare set of house keys she had made just in case she lost her original set.

"Bye, sweetie." Jasmine said, kissing Taylor's forehead.  
>"Bye, mommy." Taylor replied<p>

She smiled at Taylor and Barbie before getting into her car, headed for home where she needed time alone to sort things out.


	14. I've Got Your Back

**Author's Note: Sorry! This is a little short! **

Once she arrived home, Jasmine headed straight up to her room where she closed the door before going towards the ledge where she usually sat to think. She hugged the pillow to her chest and closed her eyes as the tears flowed freely.

She must have fallen asleep half-way through because she didn't know Barbie was in the room with her until she felt someone touch her shoulder, which woke her up.

"Barbie… What are you doing here? Where's Taylor?" Jasmine asked  
>"I wasn't scheduled for the house show so I thought I'd come back with Taylor… And, don't worry, she's downstairs playing with Stu." Barbie replied<p>

Jasmine smiled a little, "Thanks Barbs… What about Stu? Doesn't he have to go for the show?"

Barbie nodded, "You know Stu…"

Jasmine nodded, knowing that Stuart would drop everything he had to do in a heartbeat if she needed his support. She looked out her window just as Barbie reached over to touch her hand.

"Are you okay?" Barbie asked

Jasmine sighed, "Yeah… After a good cry I'm actually better. I'm starting to accept that I'm never going to have him back in my life."

"Look, this isn't the end of the world. Cody's a lying two-faced jerk and he doesn't deserve you." Barbie said  
>"Thank you." Jasmine said<p>

Barbie smiled, "No problem. We're best friends! It's my duty to give you this pep talk."

Jasmine laughed and hugged Barbie tight, grateful to have friends that she could count on who would be there for her no matter what.


	15. Shared Pain

Stuart was chasing Taylor on the beach outside of Jasmine's home. He caught her and she giggled loudly as they landed in the sand.

"Aha! I caught you!" Stuart said

He sat up with Taylor facing him, on his lap and said, "Shall we play something else?"

She nodded and he thought for a while before deciding to play 'patty cake' with her. He was about to begin the game when Taylor's eyes suddenly widened in terror at something behind him. Stuart was about to turn around and find out what was scaring Taylor when he felt a huge blow at the back of his head, which knocked him out cold.

Jasmine and Barbie came down the stairs after a while and saw Stuart holding his head as he stood up on the beach. They looked around but saw no sign of Taylor, which started to worry Jasmine. The two ladies walked out to join Stuart.

"Stu… Where's Taylor?" Jasmine asked  
>"I—I don't know… When I woke up, she's gone." Stuart replied<br>"What do you mean 'she's gone'?" Barbie asked  
>"We were playing on the beach and we sat down after a while. The last thing I remembered was Taylor looking really frightened and as I turned around to see what was freaking her out, something hit me hard behind my head and when I woke up, she's gone." Stuart said<br>"You mean someone took her?" Jasmine exclaimed

Stuart's face fell, "I don't know…"

Jasmine stepped back a little as she suddenly felt light-headed. Stuart and Barbie both caught onto her arm before she fell. They helped her into the living room and sat her down.

"I'll call the cops." Barbie said

Just as Barbie and Stuart started making calls, Jasmine stood up from the couch and walked up the stairs towards Taylor's bedroom and closed the door behind her, locking it.

15 minutes later, Ted and Cody arrived at Jasmine's house. The door was open since a few policemen were walking in and out. They went in, headed straight for Barbie and Stuart, who were standing on the steps.

Barbie frowned seeing Cody and said, "What are you doing here?"

"I told Ted to tell him about what happened… He is her dad after all." Stuart said  
>"Have they located Taylor yet?" Ted asked<br>"No… The police said we should wait for incoming ransom calls." Barbie said  
>"Who would do such a thing?" Ted said<br>"I don't know… But we just have to pray that Taylor's okay." Stuart said  
>"Is Jasmine okay?" Cody asked<br>"We're not sure. She's up in Taylor's bedroom." Stuart replied  
>"Can I go up and talk to her?" Cody asked<br>"No way. You've done enough damage for one day. Besides, she doesn't want to see you or talk to you." Barbie replied

Cody looked at Barbie and pleaded, "Please let me try."

"No." Barbie said

Ted looked at Barbie and said, "Just let him try."

Barbie let out a frustrated sigh and reluctantly stepped aside. Cody smiled gratefully at her as he made his way up the stairs towards Taylor's bedroom. He slowly opened the door and saw Jasmine sitting on Taylor's bed, hugging the Cookie Monster that Taylor loved. Cody didn't say anything but walked up to her and sat down next to her.

Seeing Cody next to her, Jasmine instantly pushed him away as she felt anger rise up within her. He didn't say anything as she started to hit him. Cody knew that in a way, he deserved this and if this was the only way to get her to release her emotions; he'd gladly let her. As her punches started losing its strength due to her crying, Cody wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close to him as she cried into his chest. He knew there was nothing he could say or do to comfort her right now since they were both feeling the increasing fear of losing Taylor. There was only one thing he could do and that was to hold her to let her know that she wasn't going through it alone.


	16. Finding Taylor

"I shouldn't have agreed to bring her out to play. I should have just stayed within the house with Taylor." Stuart said

Barbie lightly pat Stuart's shoulder, "Stu… Don't blame yourself. You wouldn't have known."

Ted looked at the police as they started setting up the equipment needed to trace phone calls, should this be a case of kidnap and ransom. Looking around, he noticed Cody's Blackberry vibrate on the side table near the door. Ted shrugged and stood up to walk over to pick it up. He figured that Cody must have left it there before going to find Jasmine.

Ted looked at the screen and he frowned a little. It was an unknown number but it looked really familiar to him. He walked back over to Barbie and Stuart before putting it out for them to see.

"The number looks familiar… Any idea who's number this is?" Ted asked  
>"Is this Cody's phone?" Stuart asked<p>

Ted nodded, "He must have left it at the table by the front door before going to Jasmine."

"Let me have a look." Barbie said, taking the phone from Ted.

She looked at the number on the screen and frowned.

"So? You know who it is?" Ted asked  
>"Yes. It's Brandi's number." Barbie replied<br>"How do you know?" Stuart asked  
>"Because I remembered telling Brandi her number is pretty easy to remember." Barbie said<p>

Ted took the Blackberry back from Barbie, "Let's see what she wants now, shall we?"

He opened the message and it was a picture of Taylor sleeping.

"Fuck!" Stuart said

His hand turned into a fist and Barbie lightly touched him before slightly tilting her head towards the direction of the police.

"We have to show this to them." Ted said  
>"The police?" Barbie asked<p>

Ted shook his head, "No. We need to show this to Cody and Jasmine."

Barbie and Stuart nodded in agreement as they left the sitting room and walked towards the direction of the room, trying their hardest not to look suspicious. As soon as they reached the room, Ted opened the door without hesitation causing Cody and Jasmine to look at him.

"We have a problem." Ted said

Jasmine cleaned her tears away with the back of her hand, "What do you mean? Has someone called about Taylor?"

"Sort of…" Stuart said

Cody and Jasmine both looked at their three friends anxiously before Cody said, "Spit it out, guys!"

"Brandi took Taylor." Barbie said  
>"What?" Jasmine said<br>"She sent Cody this picture." Ted said, handing the phone to them.

Cody took his phone from Ted and looked at the picture of Taylor sleeping soundly on what looks like a bed. Jasmine's fist tightened as she saw her daughter.

"Are you sure it's her?" Jasmine said  
>"Positive. Barbs remembered her number." Stuart said<br>"I need to find this bitch." Jasmine said  
>"How? Jas, you can't just go out aimlessly to find her." Barbie said<br>"But I can't just sit here and let that woman touch my baby!" Jasmine exclaimed

Cody's jaw tightened in anger, "I'll go find her."

"You know where she is?" Ted asked  
>"The only place where she knows I'll find her. The beach house she liked. She said she wanted to start a family there." Cody replied<br>"I'm coming with you." Jasmine said

He looked at Jasmine and seeing the determined look on her face, he couldn't say no even when he knew it might be dangerous for her.

"Let's go." Cody said  
>"You two have to go discreetly. The police might think you're hiding something from them if you don't." Stuart said<br>"We'll stay here. If you two need anything, text us." Barbie said

Cody nodded as Jasmine followed after him. The two of them descended the stairs and just as they were about to open the front door, an officer stopped them.

"Miss? Where are you going?" He asked  
>"I'm just going to go and see if I can do another search down the street." Jasmine replied<br>"Would you like me to accompany you?" He asked, looking at Cody suspiciously.

Jasmine shook her head, "No, it's okay. My husband's with me."

The officer relaxed, "Oh… Okay. In that case, we'll continue to wait for any news here while you go for another search."

"Thank you, officer." Jasmine said

Cody and her both gave the officer a polite smile, who returned one, before they opened the door and hurried over to get into Cody's car. He started up the engine and backed out from the spot he parked in before speeding down the street.


	17. What Love Does

They arrived at the beach house and Cody killed the engine just as he put the car in park. From the outside, they could see that the lights were on and it was obvious that Brandi was probably inside.

"You stay here. I'll go in." Cody said  
>"No. What if she has a gun?" Jasmine said<br>"It doesn't matter. What matters is I get Taylor out safely." Cody said

Jasmine looked at him, "You're going to do an exchange?"

"If it is the only way to safe our daughter, yeah." Cody said

Just as Cody was about to get out of the car, Jasmine held onto his arm.

"Wait. The house should have a back door. You try and distract her and I'll go in and get Taylor." Jasmine said

Seeing Cody's hesitation, she said, "I'm not taking no for an answer."

He reluctantly nodded and the two of them headed over to the house, separating at a point to carry out their plan. Cody climbed up the stairs in a matter of seconds before ringing the doorbell when he couldn't see Jasmine anymore.

* * *

><p>The door opened and Brandi beamed ecstatically when she saw Cody standing on her front porch. He took a quick glance into the house and saw Jasmine enter from the back door.<p>

"Cody!" Brandi exclaimed, "You came! I knew you'd come!"

He quickly looked back at Brandi and said, "Yeah… You took Taylor with you so I had to come."

Just as Cody provided the necessary distraction, Jasmine quickly made her way down the hallway to find the room which had her daughter. She opened the first door but it was empty. She tried the second door and it was empty too. Jasmine was starting to worry about the amount of time she had and seeing that this was a two storey house, she wasn't sure how she was going to head up the stairs if she needed to.

Jasmine was about to turn and walk up the stairs when she realized that the basement door was slightly ajar. She looked back at Cody and when their eyes met for a second, she signaled her next move. He looked back at Brandi and hugged her, giving Jasmine time to go down.

She legged it down the stairs as quietly as she could and when she looked to her right, she saw her daughter sleeping on a mattress. Her heart leapt for joy at finding her daughter but she knew she couldn't waste a minute. She hurriedly made her way over to the mattress.

"Taylor? Sweetie? It's mommy." Jasmine said

Taylor slowly stirred and opened her eyes. Jasmine felt Taylor's cheeks and realized that she had been crying.

"Mommy!" Taylor exclaimed, hugging Jasmine.

She hugged Taylor back just as she carried her up.

"Sssh… Don't worry. Mommy's here to bring you home, okay?" Jasmine said

Taylor nodded and hugged Jasmine tight just as she hurriedly walked up the stairs so that she could get out of the house.

As soon as Cody saw Taylor in Jasmine's arms, he let Brandi go. Jasmine hurriedly made her way out the back door with Taylor just as Brandi spoke.

"I knew you'd be happy I took Taylor away from that woman. She was just using your daughter as a pawn to keep you close!" Brandi said

Jasmine made it to the car and put Taylor into the back seat before looking to see if Cody was behind her. But, he wasn't. To make matters worse, she heard police sirens from the next street that seemed to get louder as if they were approaching where she was.

* * *

><p>Back at the house, Brandi too heard the sirens and looked at Cody, suspicions arising.<p>

"Did you call the cops?" Brandi asked  
>"What? No. I didn't do that. Why would I do that? I want to be with you." Cody replied, trying to confuse Brandi.<p>

She looked at him before turning to head to the basement. Seeing the basement door wide open, she ran down the stairs and realized that Taylor wasn't there anymore. Gritting her teeth in anger, she pulled out the gun that was stuck behind her, in her pants. Brandi went up the stairs and as soon as she saw Cody standing by the entrance, she pointed the gun at him; making him step back each time she took a step forward.

"You lied to me. You fucking lied to me! You brought that bitch here. You brought her to take Taylor away from me! Away from us!" Brandi exclaimed

"Brandi, calm down. Just put the gun away and we can talk. You don't need Taylor. You have me now. We can leave this all behind and go start a new life somewhere else." Cody said

Brandi laughed, "Tempting, Runnels. But, now, that offer doesn't stand."

"What are you talking about?" Cody said, confused at her sudden change of heart.

She smirked, "I'm not stupid, Cody. You're just saying this to make me put the gun away. I knew it was too good to be true when you appeared at my door alone."

"Just put the gun away, Brandi. We can talk about this." Cody said  
>"There's nothing to talk about, Cody!" Brandi shouted<p>

She looked at him, "Tell me, Cody. Are you willing to die for that bitch?"

* * *

><p>A gun shot rang out from within the house. Jasmine whipped her head towards the direction of the house and panic set in. She ran for the house but fell short of several more steps just as she felt a pair of strong arms lift her up. She struggled as tears fell from her eyes, clouding her vision of the police officers running towards the house. Giving into her fear, she stopped struggling and the person carrying her put her back on the ground. She leant into the person and cried comfortably, knowing that it was Stuart who had been restraining her. He pat her back just as she cried into his shirt.<p>

* * *

><p>Back in the house, Brandi dropped the gun in fright after she fired the shot. A collapsed Cody was on the ground, the small red spot in his chest becoming bigger in a matter of seconds. Two police officers grabbed a hold of her while paramedics rushed in to come to Cody's aid.<p>

One of the officers handcuffed her and brought Brandi out towards the squad car just as the neighbors from the other street gathered around. Jasmine looked up and before Stuart could react, she had already made her way to where Brandi was about to get in to the squad car.

Brandi looked at her, mascara staining her cheeks, "I-I'm sorry… I-I didn't mean to pull the trigger… I-I…"

Jasmine couldn't take Brandi's explanation at all. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and stared at Brandi straight in the eye.

"If Cody doesn't make it, I'm going to personally see to it that you never see daylight again." Jasmine said

Brandi blinked a couple of times, intimidated and frightened by what Jasmine said. Her face crumpled as soon as she sat in the squad car and she burst into tears just as the car drove away. Jasmine stepped back a little, feeling her energy drain away and nearly fell if it wasn't for Barbie who came up to hold her.

"Jas! Are you okay?" Barbie asked  
>"Y-Yeah…" Jasmine said<p>

She looked up just as she saw Cody on the stretcher with the oxygen mask over his face. She wriggled out of Barbie's hold as she ran over to the stretcher. But before she can get to him, a paramedic stopped her.

"I'm sorry miss, but he needs to be rushed to the hospital as soon as possible. The police will let you know where we're taking him and you can see him there." She said

Jasmine caught a glance of Cody and her heart started to ache. All sorts of scenario rushed through her mind and her panic set in again. Just as the paramedics closed the door to the ambulance, Jasmine took one step forward only to black out to the voice of her friends calling her name.


	18. Hospital Woes

She woke up, feeling slightly drained of energy. Jasmine tried sitting up but her limbs felt exhausted, making it difficult for her to use her arms to push herself up. Looking around, she realized she was in the hospital. Almost in an instant, reality hit her like a freight train and everything that happened earlier surfaced in her mind.

As if that was a boost in energy, Jasmine pushed herself up with her arms and slowly moving her legs to the side of the bed, she got up. But, only to fall back down into the arms of a person that she didn't hear come into her room.

"Whoa! You're not supposed to get up!"

Jasmine looked up and saw Ted furrowing his eyebrows in worry.

She fought away from his grip as she stood up right, "I need to see Cody."

As she took a step out, her legs gave way and almost instantly, Ted swooped his arms in to catch her before she fell onto the ground.

"Cody's fine. You need to get some rest. You're physically exhausted." Ted said

Just as he was helping her back to her bed, Barbie and Stuart, who was carrying Taylor, came into the room.

"How are you feeling?" Barbie asked

Feeling annoyed with her body, she didn't want to talk to anyone. Ignoring Barbie, she looked to the side as she felt her eyes start to tear up.

Barbie looked at Ted, "What happened?"

"She tried to leave the bed. But her legs gave out with each step she took." Ted said

Barbie looked at her best friend and for the first time in her entire life, she felt helpless. She wanted so much to say something to her but there just wasn't anything she could say to help her feel better. Barbie knew how much Jasmine loved Cody and having this happen was a major blow to her.

Taylor looked at Jasmine, "Mommy?"

As soon as she heard her daughter's voice, Jasmine looked up and remembering that her daughter was more important to her then herself, she held back the tears and mustered a smile.

"Hey, sweetheart." Jasmine said

Stuart carried Taylor over to Jasmine and handed her over. She sat snugly on Jasmine's lap as Taylor tucked a stray hair behind Jasmine's ear.

"Are you feeling better, mommy?" Taylor asked

Jasmine smiled at her daughter and kissed her forehead before saying, "Much better."

She looked up at her friends, "Did she get hurt?"

"The pediatrician checked her out. She's fine. That crazy woman didn't hurt her." Stuart said

Although Jasmine didn't respond to either of them, they knew that she comprehended what they just told her. She merely combed her daughter's hair with her fingers and neatly tucked them behind her ears.

"Where's daddy?" Taylor asked

Jasmine looked at Taylor, a little stunned for a moment as she herself had no clue how Cody was. Was he dead or alive? Was he severely injured or in a coma? She didn't have the answers to that.

As her mind started searching for a simple way to tell her daughter where he was, Barbie spoke.

"We'll take you and your mommy to go see him, okay?" Barbie said

Jasmine and Taylor both looked at Barbie who gave Jasmine a reassuring nod.

"Stu, could you go ask the nurse if they have a wheelchair we could borrow?" Barbie said

Stuart nodded and went out to search for a nurse. As soon as he got his hands on the wheelchair, he brought it back into Jasmine's ward.

* * *

><p>Together, they brought Jasmine and Taylor to the Intensive Care Unit where Cody was. Just as they were at the entrance to his ward, the door opened and a nurse came out.<p>

"I'm sorry. Visiting hours are over." She said, "You can come back tomorrow."

"Could you just let us go in for a while?" Jasmine asked

The nurse's eyebrows furrowed.

"I just want to see my daddy." Taylor said

As soon as Taylor said that, the nurse stopped frowning and they could see her strict, no nonsense persona crack a little.

"Alright. But only her and the wife can stay. The rest of you have to leave after 5 minutes." The nurse said  
>"Yup. We'll be gone in 5 minutes." Ted said<br>"Thank you." Jasmine said

The nurse nodded and gave Jasmine a small smile before walking back to the reception. Stuart held open the door as Barbie pushed Jasmine in.

As they got closer to the bed, they could all see Cody lying there, with a bandage wrapped snugly around his chest and left shoulder. He had an oxygen mask over his mouth which reminded Jasmine of how he left the scene in the ambulance.

Once Ted locked Jasmine's wheelchair in place, she reached over to hold his hand.

"Why is daddy sleeping?" Taylor asked  
>"Daddy's tired, sweetheart. He needs to sleep for a while after rescuing you." Jasmine replied<p>

Taylor nodded just as Jasmine put her next to Cody on his bed.

"Can I sleep next to daddy?" Taylor asked

Jasmine gave her a small smile, "Sure, sweetheart. Just be careful not to hit daddy, okay?"

Taylor nodded as she moved herself so that she was next to Cody and snuggled up next to him. Using his arm as a bolster, she hugged his arm close to her. Seeing the two of them together made Jasmine's heart ache. This was how she had always wanted everyday to be like but now, seeing Cody like this wasn't how she had imagined it to look like.

Jasmine turned to her friends, "Did the doctor say how he is?"

"The doctor said that the bullet missed his heart by an inch. And thankfully, it didn't hit any of his major organs." Stuart said  
>"They managed to retrieve it but other than that, he's going to be okay." Ted said<br>"Did they say when he's going to wake up?" Jasmine asked  
>"They're not sure. He lost a lot of blood." Barbie replied<p>

Jasmine nodded as she lightly squeezed Cody's hand.

"You guys should go back and get some rest." Jasmine said, "You have a flight out tomorrow."

"We're not going to fly out tomorrow. Hunter gave us time off." Ted said  
>"He knows?" Jasmine asked<br>"Yeah. It's all over the news now." Stuart replied

Barbie looked at Jasmine, "You need to get some rest too. We'll leave first. We'll come by tomorrow morning, okay?"

Jasmine nodded and Barbie lightly squeezed her wrist before quietly leaving with Stuart and Ted. As soon as she heard the door click close behind her, her tears slowly slid down her face. She gave in to her exhaustion and leaned forward as she slept with Cody's hand near her face.


	19. He's Awake

It's been 3 days since Cody had been admitted into the hospital following the incident that took place. Since that day, Jasmine had consistently been by Cody's bed side making sure that should he wake up, she would be there to see him. Many of Cody's friends and colleagues came to see him despite his unconsciousness. While she was at the hospital, her friends had been helping her out. Stuart and Ted helped out at Jasmine's store while Barbie helped out with taking care of Taylor.

Jasmine was reading a magazine to Cody when the door to his ward opened.

"Mommy!"

Jasmine put aside her magazine and smiled seeing her daughter run into the room.

"Hey, you!" Jasmine said, carrying her daughter up to sit on her lap.

Barbie walked towards Jasmine after closing the door and sat next to her in the empty chair.

"How is he?" Barbie asked

"Still the same. But, I think he's pretty caught up on entertainment news." Jasmine replied, showing Barbie the magazine she had been reading.

She chuckled, "That's good."

Taylor looked at Jasmine, "Is daddy still sleeping?"

"I'm afraid so, sweetie." Jasmine said, "Daddy's really tired."

"I hope he wakes up soon, mommy." Taylor said

Jasmine smoothed her daughter's hair, "Me too, sweetie."

Barbie and Jasmine, along with Taylor sat in silence for a while until Stuart and Ted came in to take over.

* * *

><p>That night, Jasmine came back to the hospital and took over the guys' shift.<p>

"You sure you're going to be okay on your own?" Stuart asked

"I've been on my own here for a few days already…" Jasmine replied, "I'll be fine."

Ted gave her a small smile and pat her back before both he and Stuart said good-bye to Jasmine.

After they left, Jasmine sat back into her chair and took out a book to read. She had gone through a few pages when she felt her eyes slowly start to close. She tried to fight the sleepiness but realising that it wasn't possible, she closed her book and put it aside before placing her head on the bed. As soon as her head touched the soft material of the bed sheets, she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Jasmine wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping but she suddenly jolted awake when she felt someone touch her head.<p>

She looked at Cody and he was opening his eyes slowly as it adjusted to his surroundings.

Jasmine immediately got up from her chair and was about to hit the emergency button on the wall by Cody's bed when he held onto her hand.

"Don't." Cody managed  
>"But you need to get checked out, Cody." Jasmine said<p>

With his eyes closed, Cody said, "It's okay. I-I'll manage for a while."

"Cody…" Jasmine said, "You need to let the nurses check on you first."

"I want to talk to you first…" Cody said  
>"Let the nurses check on you then we'll talk, okay?" Jasmine said<p>

Cody realized that he didn't really have an option. If he didn't agree, Jasmine would just continue being worried. He nodded and Jasmine gave him a small smile as she pushed the emergency button.

Within minutes, two nurses and a doctor came into the room. Jasmine waited outside while they drew the curtains around Cody's bed to give him a thorough check-up.

Twenty minutes later, the doctor and the two nurses came out.

"How is he?" Jasmine asked  
>"His vitals are fine and his injuries are healing. He should be able to get discharged within the next two days." The doctor replied<p>

The doctor hung his stethoscope around his neck, "I'll come check on him again tomorrow morning."

Jasmine smiled gratefully, "Thank you, doctor."

The doctor smiled and walked away with the two nurses just as Jasmine turned to go back in.

The curtains had been put back to the way they were previously and Cody was now sitting up with pillows behind his back.

"Hey." Cody said, seeing Jasmine enter the ward.

Jasmine managed a small smile as she walked towards his bed, "Hey… How are you feeling?"

"Good… But then again… I've been sleeping for a long time." Cody said

She nodded, "Yeah… You have."

"Is Taylor okay?" Cody asked  
>"She is… Thanks to her dad." Jasmine replied<p>

She looked at Cody and held his hand, "I'm sorry, Cody… I shouldn't have said those things to you. I should have known better."

She held back the tears that were threatening to leave her eyes, "I thought I lost you."

Cody tugged her hand and pulled her towards him so that she would sit down on his bed.

He looked at her and tucked her stray hair behind her ear before cupping the side of her face.

"You're never going to lose me." Cody said, "I still haven't made up for my stupidity yet."

He held onto her hand, "And besides, I'm the one who should be sorry. I brought you and Taylor into my mess with Brandi."

Jasmine shook her head and gave him a small smile, "I guess we'll call it even then."

Cody smiled and leaned in towards Jasmine for a kiss. He was hesitant at first, unsure of what she was feeling towards their relationship. But his doubts were cast aside when she leaned in to meet him halfway.

Just as the both of them pulled away, 2 guys dressed in a suit came in.

"Mr Runnels?" He said, "I'm Detective Leopold and this is Detective Rodriguez. We're with the Honolulu Police Department and would like to ask you some questions regarding the shooting."

Cody looked at the both of them, "Sure."

Jasmine stood up and was about to leave when Cody held onto her hand.

"Where are you going?" Cody asked

"To pick Taylor up." Jasmine replied, "And it's best that I'm not here. I don't want to know what happened."

"We agree." Detective Rodriguez said, "Her presence might affect your statement."

Cody looked at Jasmine and she gave him a small smile, "Don't worry. I'll be back in 20 minutes."

He reluctantly nodded and let go of her hand. She leaned in to give him another peck on the lips before heading out the door. As soon as she left, the detectives began getting the account of what happened at the house.


	20. A Happy Ending

Weeks later, everything went back to normal. Cody had been given 3 months off and was recuperating in Hawaii. After he woke up, Cody and Jasmine had been working on their relationship. She wasn't sure if it was going to work but after a few dates, their relationship only got better and better. Pretty soon, it almost seemed as if they had been married for years.

Taylor was enjoying every moment she had with her father. He brought her to school, picked her up from school and even sneaked her out for ice cream when she wasn't allowed to. Even though Cody knew he wasn't exactly father of the year, Taylor always made it a point to remind him that he was the best ever.

* * *

><p>Jasmine had just closed up the shop and had bought some pizza on her way home as part of the weekly pizza night at the house. She pulled up in the driveway and got out, holding two boxes of pizza in her arms.<p>

She unlocked the door and put the keys into the bowl after she entered, closing the door behind her with her right foot.

"I'm home!" Jasmine said

She was expecting an excited squeal from her daughter and Cody running after her but instead, was met with silence. Now that she had time to register the difference, she realized that the television wasn't switched on.

"Cody?" Jasmine called out, "Taylor?"

She put her bag down on the sofa, "Guys?"

Just as she was about to pull out her cellphone, ready to call for help, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see her daughter running towards her.

She kneeled down and hugged her daughter as she approached.

"Oh, thank God!" Jasmine said, "I was beginning to think something bad happened to you!"

She looked at Taylor, "Where's daddy?"

Taylor merely smiled, "Follow me!"

Jasmine stood up with a puzzled expression as her daughter's small hand grasped her hand, leading her towards the backyard. As they walked, Jasmine noticed that her daughter wasn't dressed in the clothes she had gone to school with. Instead, she was wearing a beautiful tulle tea length ivory dress that was sleeveless and had an A-line shape to it with a floral colored sash at the waist.

When Taylor stopped walking, Jasmine looked away from her daughter and was amazed to find her backyard decorated with ball-shaped lights, lining the trees overhead and a small simple white gazebo sat by the trees.

She looked at the set-up with awe just as Cody stepped out from the gazebo, dressed in a strapping black tuxedo.

Jasmine laughed a little and said, "What is all this? And why are you and my daughter dressed so elegantly?"

"Well… It's because today is the day I've been waiting my whole life for." Cody said, "And we needed to dress up for it."

She looked at him with a slight puzzled expression, "What do you mean?"

Cody merely smiled at her as he bent down on one knee. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box. Jasmine's eyes widened a little as she finally processed what was about to happen.

She slowly let go of her daughter's hand as Cody opened the box. She covered her mouth in shock as what she had been dreaming for was finally going to happen.

"My dearest Jasmine, you are the only woman I've ever been so stupid to let go of and I want to make sure it doesn't ever happen again." Cody said, "You're the only woman I could ever picture a life with and you're always going to be the only one for me."

Jasmine felt herself smile just as Cody continued.

"So… Will you be my wife?" He said  
>"Say yes, mommy!" Taylor exclaimed<p>

Jasmine chuckled and looked at Cody, "Since you have a huge fan in your midst, it's hard to disappoint her, right?"

Cody grinned widely and place the ring onto her finger before carrying her up and planting a kiss on her lips. Taylor cheered happily just as they heard wolf whistles from behind them.

He put her back down and she turned to see her friends, family and a priest, emerging from their hiding spots.

Barbie smiled at her as she held up a wedding gown that was securely wrapped up.

She looked back at Cody, unable to contain the smile that was appearing.

"You were so sure I was going to say 'yes', huh?" Jasmine said  
>"Yeah. I was damn sure you were not going to say 'no'." Cody said, with utmost confidence.<p>

Jasmine laughed as Cody pulled her into his arms, "Cause if you did say 'no', I might have forced you to marry me anyway."

She shook her head and kissed him on the lips, "I love you."

"I love you too." Cody said, "Now go get dressed! We have a wedding in 20 minutes."

He let her go and just as she headed up the stairs back into the house, she turned around and smiled seeing Taylor in Cody's arms.

All her life, she always thought happy endings were never real and it was proven right when she had Taylor. But, now, she knew that she had been too quick to judge and didn't give herself a chance at a happy ending.

She was glad she didn't give up though.. Or she would never have gotten her happily ever after.


End file.
